Dead Poet Society’s second CD shows a band expanding their art, with the assurance that comes from popular acceptance of their first release, “The Electric Haze”.

One fan said of the first album, “I love to listen to it when I’m training. The music is slow and builds up a harmony between the body and the soul. I think we can all use some more of that…”

With DEPROGRAMMING, the band has done just that, and added excellent vocals to their electronic/goth mix.

This is sophisticated, post-modern music that samples from a rich menu of influences. There are subtle themes from the Middle East, the samisen music of Japan, European techno-pop, hints of echoing Enya choruses, and orchestral instrumentation. In addition, the group has sampled sound effects from sirens and squealing tires to jet engines warming up.

The brooding, ominous cello sounds at the beginning of “Strung Out” are perfectly suited to the opening credits of a sophisticated horror film, while the pounding drums that open “Massacre” are simply superb.

With DEPROGRAMMING, Dead Poets Society have moved into another level of expertise. We hope that future efforts will include more experimentation with vocals, given the intriguing lyrics presented here.

Article originally appeared on thedeadpoets.org - official site of the U.S. band, and the endeavors of its members,Wa Conner and Jessica Griffin-Conner (http://www.thedeadpoets.org/).